Thursday, November 29, 2012

First you
take a small town girl from Exeter, New Hampshire with a penchant for singing
and songwriting.Next, you provide her
fertile mind with an Ivy League education.Finally, you turn her loose on the streets of Brooklyn to see what
happens next.This isn’t exactly Kalen
Lister’s story, but it’s not far off the mark.Kalen brings an exciting and intellectual approach to song craft on her
debut solo CD, Falling From The Sun.

Kalen starts off with "Island", an ethereal pop vocal tune reminiscent
of early recordings from Maryen Cairns or Milla Jovovich. The composition is
built of complex layers that are realized with surprising clarity over a light
dance beat. "Fallen From The Sky" explores how good love goes bad
when obsession sets in. Kalen uses an elevation to angry rocker to show growing
frustration while layering ghost-like vocal chants over the top. The effect is
striking.

Kalen gets gritty on "Rabid Girl", a story song about a young woman's
descent into alcoholism and the demons that drive her there. The urgent energy
of this tune carries over into "Neda", which reverts a bit to Kalen's
more ethereal pop sound. Maintaining a bit of that gritty feel and channeling
it into bluesy pop, Kalen's moves on into the dark and spritely kiss off song
"Hit The Road". This is the most impressive vocal performance on the
album thus far, and hints at greater musical depths that Kalen may not yet have
tapped. Kalen strips things down to piano, strings and voice for the closing
waltz, "It Takes A Lifetime." This is a wow moment, as Kalen
struggles through insecurity and indecision to a nominal understanding that the
confusion and fear is a normal part of life. Elements of Tori Amos or Sarah
Slean can be heard here, but Kalen really makes the moment her own by singing
very much from the heart.

Kalen Lister
makes a grand statement in bold hues, subtle rhythms and deftly crafted phrases
on Falling From The Sun.This is a nuanced EP that rewards patience,
unfurling new layers with repeated listens.Kalen’s voice is enigmatic and warm, drawing you out of your listener’s
isolation and involving you in the stories she spins.She’ll leave you wanting more and more.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

San Paolo,
Brazil native Gabriel Serapicos claims Portuguese as his native language, but
chooses to sing in English to feel more connected to the spirits of rock and
roll.This connection is at times raw
and comically out of synch at times on his debut album, Serapicos Is A Town, but they playful heart of the album is
ultimately its redeeming factor.

Serapicos
gets things rolling with the message, incessant garage rock of “There Is No
Satisfaction”.This retro-post-modern
answer to the Rolling Stones is built more from a bemused observationalism than
any real sense of angst or disappointment.You can almost picture the knowing smirk Serapicos is hiding as he
sings.“Blow Me” features the same sort
of self-satisfied frat boy smugness and fails to be allegorical in any
way.It’s an entertaining look into the
barely post-adolescent male mind with quasi 1970’s Lloyd-Webber flair.The band comes back to Earth with fairly
mundane numbers such as “Artists Are Crazy” and the shambling “Pee Pee
Jazz”.

With “Lucky
Numbers”, Serapicos descend into a troubled They Might Be Giants parallel
universe where bright airy melodies and whimsical story songs have been
replaced by dark, minor key explorations and Smith’s inspired tales of woe.Jumping into a sound once used by Jan and
Dean, Serapicos get completed retro on “Inspire Me”. This fun rocker will get
your feet moving, and the messy garage style of play creates a fun
environment.Things roll back downhill
for “The Sexiest Girl In The World”.This amounts to a teen boy drooling over a girl in song without any
sense of art or tact.That being said,
there is an elemental cuteness to the song.“Balloon” finds Serapicos practicing a bit more tact in their wooing
techniques, but not much.The vocal is
enough to sink this one, as Serapicos has only a passing relationship with the
key.

“The Egg
Song” is a catchy little piece of post-pop fluff that one presumes is
ironic.The song is very entertaining,
with a frenetic energy that’s impossible to ignore.This is one tune where it’s best not to think
too much about what you’re listening to.“When Your Husband’s Away” is banal and droning; a difficult listen at
best."I Just Want To Be Your
Friend" has a Doors style groove, but fails on pedantic and repetitive
lyrics. "Love Pills" and "Russian Roulettes and Persian
Carpets" are equally mundane, although the latter captures a bit of that
They Might Be Giants air found earlier on the album. "Sexy Julia" is
an unsubtle yet entertaining ode to an object of affection/desire. There is an
abstract musicality encompassed in the catchy rock arrangement, and the song is
danceable in spite of its slightly messy presentation. Serapicos says goodnight
with the title track, a stumbling and inexplicably sad number that is messily
thrown together and performed without conviction.

Going it
alone on a first recording can be wonderfully freeing as an artist.It also leaves those who create exposed by
the weakness of their own worse natures.There is a clear influence of 1960’s rock and roll on Serapicos Is A Town, and the utter joy
that emanates from music of that era is evident.Serapicos even manages to create some of the
same manic glee, both lyrically and musically, that drove the best of They
Might Be Giants’ work.At the same time,
Serapicos struggles against his own sense of cuteness, crossing over at times
into wildly banal or even downright unlistenable moments.There is a lot of good to be mined from SerapicosIs A Town.A first class
producer could reign in Serapicos’ more self-immolating songwriting tendencies
and help him find the pure pop gems he seeks here.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Mickey
Finns have taken just two albums to be hailed one of the best Celtic rock bands
in the world.Featuring former members
of The Prodigals (Ray Kelly – vocals, guitar; Brian Tracey – drums); the former
lead violinist for Michael Flatley’s The
Lord Of The Dance (Matt Mancuso); and, multi-instrumentalist Eric Kaye (The
Prodigals, Clint Black, Marc Cohn, Lucy Woodward), the New York City based
quartet gets crowds on their feet early and often.The Mickey Finns’ latest studio effort, Prayers And Idle Chatter, features the
sort of whiskey-soaked vocals that are ideal for Celtic Rock.

Prayers And Idle Chatter kicks off in high style with "The Prodigal
Son", a heel turner with great energy and a dancing spirit. "Sweet
Clare Girl" has a folk/country feel, filled to the brim with quiet but vital
picking and focused vocal harmonies. The instrumental work is top notch
throughout, but especially in the bridge. "McGuinness' Mass" is a down
tempo drinking song that explores the camaraderie of the neighborhood pub and
the form of penance that is brewed or distilled but universal across time and
cultures. "Loop Reels" is a frenetic fiddle driven experience
underwritten by some seriously motivated percussion. The Mickey Finns quite
literally rock out here. "Absinthe (Makes The Heart Grow Fonder)" borrows
a bit of rough-edged energy and imbues it with a country/Celtic pastiche. This
would be one fun tune to experience live.

"Tanks And Barbed Wire" tells the story of love between a Protestant
man and a Catholic girl at a time when such liaisons were dangerous. The
outcome of this song is expectedly tragic, but holds a moral about learning to
live together. The Mickey Finns take a lighter tone on in “The Jester”, a light
and airy tune full of lilting violin and bright, breezy phrasing.Kicking it up a notch or two, the band
launches into the vibrant “Two Jigs For Aoiffe”.The musicianship is stellar and The Mickey
Finns sounds very much in the zone.“Dark Roll Down The Dawn” represents a dichotomy in The Mickey Finns’
style that is intriguing.There’s
tremendous energy here, and it’s abundantly clear the band is having fun; yet
there is a clear sense that they are holding something in reserve.

“Duffy’s Cut”
memorializes 57 Irish immigrants who died of Cholera outside of Malvern
Pennsylvania in 1832.Brought to America
to help lay railroad tracks, it is believed the workers were denied medical
care due to anti-Catholic prejudice.The
Mickey Finns handle this tune perfectly, creating a wonderful melodic
sensibility in the Wally Page-penned tune.The sentiment here is real without sounding overly sentimental.The Mickey Finns close out with a rockin’
reel, “Be Mine”.Nothing is left in the
studio here, and it’s clear that the impression earlier that the band was still
holding something is proven to be spot on.

The Mickey
Finns engage in a long slow build on Prayers
And Idle Chatter that culminates in a blow-off-the-roof performance in “Be
Mine”.Through the entire eleven-song
cycle there is a sense of expectation, of something more.The Mickey Finns deliver and then some.Prayers
And Idle Chatter captures the energy and pure musicianship of the
band.All of this is tied together by
the engaging presence of lead singer Ray Kelly, who is a first class front man
with a voice that stops people in their tracks.Somewhere in the nexus between The Waterboys, Black 47 and Great Big Sea
you will find The Mickey Finns.They’re
doing just fine, thank you.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Boston singer/songwriter George Woods explores deep emotions and deeper
thoughts on his debut album Heartbeat.
Earning comparisons to artists such as James Morrison and Ray Lamontagne, Woods
sings with a singular voice about human frailty, insecurity and hope amidst
deeply nuanced and often beautiful folk/rock arrangements.

Kicking things off with "Overture/Rewind", Woods makes his
introductions through a finely crafted orchestral entr'acte. The non-linguistic
vocals create an eerie air that's stark and lovely. "Shake My Soul"
is driven by the sort if hopeless urgency that's born of burgeoning and
sometimes unrequited love. "Wasn't Enough" is an energetic and messy
breakup song that's an interesting mix of darkness and light. There's a
distinct pop feel at the heart of this song, an air that is complicated by
messy layers and an unpolished sound that's fitting here."Stock In The Stars" is an
infectiously upbeat bohemian folk rocker about the hopes, dreams and the
redeeming power of love. Woods is entirely on here, in one of the most endearing
songs on the album. "Marry Me" is just what it sounds like. The funk
infused soul pop number is from the heart, and has the potential to become a
mix-tape and dedication favorite.

Woods takes a more desolate turn on "Chapter 3: The Moon", mixing voices
and strings in a brief bit repetitive cantata that seems incomplete.
"Running Away" takes more focus on while exploring an inexplicable
draw to flight and how that tendency comes face to face with unexpected love.
The song is a disorganized mess musically, but manages to work in spite of this
(perhaps because the presentation and the message are so closely aligned).
Woods returns to a dark and lonely musical landscape for "You Are The
Moon", written from the depths of unrequited love. There is an elemental
beauty here, with the distance finely etched into haunting vocals and strings.

"Heartbeat" sinks into morass where lust overcomes love and good
intentions. Woods once again ventures into messy musical territory in
conjunction with a messy emotional story. "Trying To Get Back" starts
out disheveled, but resolves in its final 30 seconds to a bright and airy
folk/rock song. "Lucky One" celebrates being in love in joyous terms.
The funky folk-rock style has an easy, swinging feel that reflects the carefree
nature of the moment captured here. "You Are The Sun" takes a more
esoteric look at the same emotions as Woods contemplates having come full
circle. This turns into a mid-tempo waltz that is perhaps overly emotive but is
generally well done. Woods closes with the requisite happy ending on "The
Wedding Song". Wind chimes and stumbling guitar walk guests down the aisle
to their virtual seats, while Woods incantation the past ala Sting on "The
Secret Marriage". The song is a reflection backward from the mundane give
and take of everyday life years later. Woods creates a moment here that is
palpable and decidedly real.

George Woods
reflects the emotional highs and lows of love in the music of heartbeat, The
journey through quiet desperation; falling in love; getting married and into
the mundane existence of everyday life captured in words and notes throughout Heartbeat.The end result is as hard to get through at
times as individual moments along the way, but the presentation is wonderfully
artistic and real. Woods does have a
distinctive melodic sensibility, and likes to play off the beaten path at
times, but he’s a gamer, always gutting out the rough performances but as often
as not turning in a gem.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Cara Luft
began performing at the age of four, singing and accompanying herself on
dulcimer.By the age of eleven the
Calgary native teaching herself guitar, learning alternate tunings and various
picking techniques.Luft soon added
banjo to her repertoire, giving her a solid arsenal of instruments to back up
her strong and distinctive alto voice. A founding member of The Wailin’
Jennies, Luft has also cut an impressive swath as a solo artist. Luft came to our attention here at Wildy’s
World with her 2007 album, The Light
Fantastic, a 4 ½ star gem that still ranks as a personal favorite.Luft returned in 2012 with her third solo
album, a splendiferous mix of folk, Celtic, country and even shades of pop
music that is ever so much more than anything she’s done before.

Darlingford begins with a look at salvation in the form of "Only Love Can
Save Me", a splendid mix of country and folk sounds that wrap around
Luft's singular voice like a blanket. The song is uplifting and joyful, yet
full of a stylistic and compositional complexity that is musically satisfying.
"Bye Bye Love" is an emotionally and musically mature post-mortem on
a relationship lost. Absent the vitriol common in pop/country kiss off songs,
Luft makes a much more damning case for moving on by speaking straight from the
heart. This is a beautiful examination of love's detritus, complete with
gorgeous vocal harmonies that appear from nowhere to accent some of her more
poignant discoveries. Luft's cover of Mike Scott's is powerful to say the least. The melancholy hope
of the song grows into a powerful determination that will have you on the edge
of your seat. Delving back into the healing process, Luft delivers the powerful
slow epiphany of "House On Fire". This testament to the permanence of
loss and the healing power of friendship is unforgettable, feeling both
decidedly intimate and universal at the same time.

"The Ploughboy And The Cockney" is an interesting diversion that is
more than it first appears. The musical performance here is top notch, of
course, but Luft proves her talent as a story teller with a light yet knowing
vocal touch. Listeners can decide whether there is more to the story in light
of the full cycle of songs presented here. "Idaho" is an exploration of new
beginnings, new faith and new perspectives. The joyous feel of the song has an
almost Paul Simon sound but with definite country flair. Luft is able to rock
out a bit here in the midst of a recovery she never foresaw.

Genocide and social responsibility whirl around the story of a man whose
heroics are sometimes deemed a failure. "Dallaire" explores the
perspective of Lt. General Romeo Dallaire, who oversaw international forces in
Rwanda in 1993 and 1994, at the height of the genocide campaign of Hutu
extremists. This is a touching and poignant look at how we struggle to do the
right thing, often failing even as we succeed. Luft returns to her personal
milieu with "Off My Mind". Here we hear some of the anger one might
expect post breakup, but the quiet reserve of class that Luft clarifies it all
with is refreshing. It doesn't dull the lyrical daggers she throws, but it does
make them harder to deflect.

"Portland Town" explores the ravages of war from the perspective of a
mother who sees her three sons go off to battle, never to return. The dark
Celtic style arrangement gives the song a quiet urgency that matches perfectly
to the subject matter, and Luft's voice is fully in the moment with an urgent
grace. Luft moves on to reverse prepositions and propositions with her emotive
and stunning take on "He Moved Through The Fair". Her voice conveys a
story of love with an elemental power that is breathtaking.

Luft takes a somewhat lighter tone on "My Darling One", an
incantation to a beloved child or perhaps even to a prospective love. The
bouncy feel of this tune marks an emotional turning point, as the scars of loss
begin to fall away. That inertia grows on "It's Gonna Be Alright", as
faith turns to confidence and ambition to make tomorrow a better day.
Darlingford closes out with "Charged!” - a bonus track born of a real life
border bust. The song is a fun and entertaining reminder of how quickly things
can go awry in the hands of Federal power, and how we rely on the humanity of
one another to straighten out the simple-minded grind of political machines.

It might seem
a cliché phrase, but Cara Luft weaves magic through every nook and cranny of Darlingford.In the process she turns a bit of personal
tragedy into songwriting gold, exploring themes of love, loss, faith, recovery
and choosing a new direction with lyrical aplomb and a near-perfect understanding
of musical setting, mood and composition.Luft’s ability to tell a story through song has never been more in focus than
it is on Darlingford, and it wouldn’t
be hard to imagine Luft collecting her second Juno Award based on this
effort.Darlingford is easily one of the finest collections to cross this
desk in 2012, and can be nothing less than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert
Island Disc.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Aaron Lewis - The Road
2012, Blaster Records
Aaron Lewis has made a lot of hay as the front man of Staind. The band's nine
albums put them at the forefront of the hard rock/metal seen for a decade or
more. Lewis has found a new direction the past few years however, falling for
the melancholy and pick-a-ninny of traditional country music. Lewis' full
length country debut album, The Road, drops this week, with a sound both radio
ready and legitimate.

The melancholy pull of home while on the road is the theme of "75",
in which Lewis laments a life where his bedroom travels as much as he does. The
musicianship here is first class, and Lewis' voice is as classic country as
they come. "The Road" is a road song with outlaw country pastiche.
Lewis channels a mix of Paycheck and Cash in a highly catchy tune that will
stick with you. "Endless Summer" is about making the most of time
together with family. The scene is a summer camp with those you love best. It's
hard not to identify with this tune at least a little bit, and Lewis manages to
convey the sentiment without becoming enslaved by it.

In "Red, White & Blue", Lewis explores the enduring power of the
American flag as a symbol of all of the sacrifice that has made America what
she is. There is a melancholy feel here under the surface, but it supports a
singular pride and hope for the future. "Lessons Learned" reflects on
Lewis' own human frailties and how mistakes have led to wisdom and appreciation
over times. The song is a call for self-examination and for talking stock in
what matters. It's well written, cogent and wonderfully melodic.
"Forever" laments the potential loss of love, and explores the
chances of carrying on from the road. The sentiment here is authentic, and
Lewis sings it as a confessional piece of country pop.

"Grandaddy's Gun" is a song of generational memory and affection,
centered around the shared memories of a shotgun. This song won't resonate well
with the ACLU or your local left leaning lawmaker, but it will hit home for
anyone who grew up in a family where hunting was a way of life. The arrangement
is masterful, and Lewis manages to humanize a subject too often demonized in
the public sphere. "State Lines" looks back on a career full of
successes in the terms of miles traveled. The seeming ambivalence about doing
it all again that arose in "75" partially resurfaces here, but in
more pragmatic lyrical and musical tones.

"Anywhere But Here" is a song of ultimate regret, sung from the
perspective of a man trapped by his own decisions. This plays to the
stereotypical hard luck life style song endemic to popular country, but is well
written and had a certain commercial flair. Lewis closes out with a fitting
paean to the bad boys of country music. "Party In Hell" finds Lewis
claiming his place beside Waylon Jennings, Chris Whitley and Jamey Johnson, among
others. The low key honky-tonk style is a nice touch.

Aaron Lewis
makes the transition from rock to country with surprising grace.Lewis and his band provide top-notch
musicianship throughout The Road, but
Lewis augments this with mature and nuanced country songwriting that runs the
depths from Johnny and Waylon-style outlaw country to mature singer-songwriter
pastiche.This may be one of the finest
country efforts of 2012.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at
www.aaronlewismusic.com, where you can order a personally signed copy of The Road as a part of various packages.